Air-engine.



A. 2i. SMITH.

. AIR ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, 1907. RENEWED APR. 11,190B. I 920,202". Patented May 4, 1909.

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A; E. SMITH.

. AIR ENGINE. APPLICATION TILED MAY 14, 1907. RENEWED APR.11,1908. 920,202. Patented May 4, 1909.

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A. E. SMITH.

A AIR ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED KAY14, 190']. RENEWED APB. 11,1908.

920,202. Patented May 4, 1909.

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ALBERT E. SMITH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AIR-ENGINE Application filed May 14, 1907, Serial No. 373,576.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT E.SM1TH, citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Im- )rovements in Air-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to air engines, and particularly to that class thereof in which the air is contained in or occupies two reservoirs communicating with the power cylinder or cylinders on opposite sides of the pistons therein, the air in the respective reservoirs being alternately expanded and contracted by being shifted from the hot end to the cool end of said reservoir, the shifting mechanism being actuated by connections with the power shaft operated by the power pistons.

The object of the invention is to form an improved engine of the kind stated, the im provements being directed especially to the reservoir and the means for heating and cooling the air therein, and to the connecting mechanisms between the power shaft and the devices for shifting the air in the reservoirs.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which l igure 1 is a plan View of the engine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of :Sig. 1. Fig. 4 is a front end elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 3, with the head of the reservoir re,

moved.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 7 indicates a pair of power cylinders containing therein reciprocating pistons the rods 8 of which are joined by connecting rods 9 to the cranks 10 of the power shaft carrying the fly wheel or pulley 11. The cylinders 7 are connected at opposite ends by passages 7 a with air reservoirs 4 and 5 respectively, each of which contains a body of air which is alternately heated and cooled to change its expansive force and thus reciprocate the pistons in the cylinders 7. The reservoirs are similar in construction, and a description of one will be suflicient for both. Each reservoir consists of a hollow cylindrical casing the rear end of which projects into a furnace 6, and in said rear end are a series of heating or conducting rods 29. Located or supported within the casing is a large tube or cylinder 30, 0 en at both ends, and 19 is a trunk piston s idable in said tube. The tube is spaced from the walls of the casing both on the sides and at the ends.

Patented May 4:, 1909.

Renewed April 11, 1908. Serial No. 426,534.

I At the front or outer end of the casing or reservoir, and occu ying about half its length, and within tie space between the tube and the wall of the casing, is a cold water coil 27, through which cold water may be passed from any available source, and in the space between the coil and the inner or hot end of the reservoir, is a regenerator consisting of a series of overlapping metal rings 28, slightly spaced apart to afford passages through which the air may flow. The cold water coils are connected across from one reservoir to the other, as indicated at b, and each reservoir receives an air pipe 3 through which an initial supply of fresh air may be pumped.

The piston 19 in each reservoir is connected by its piston rod 19 and connecting rod 14 to one or the other of the lever arnzs 15 or 17 projecting oppositely from a rock shaft 18. This rock shaft has anotherlever arm 21 connected by a rod 22 to an arm 23 on a rock shaft 24 which is disposed beside the power cylinders and the piston rods thereof and has thereona cam block 20 with a cam groove 20 in which travels a pin 26 projecting from the nearest piston rod 8. The reciprocation of the pistons in the power cylinders 7, by means of the cam and lever connections shown, causes the pistons 19 to be alternately moved to opposite ends of the tubes in the respective reservoirs, and this movement, in consequence of the large size of the pistons 19, operates to transfer the air in the reservoirs from the hot to the cold end thereof, and vice versa.

In operation, air is first pumped into the reservoirs 4 and 5 to a pressure of say several ati'nospheres. The furnace heats the rear or inner end of the reservoir. Assuming that the piston 19 in the reservoir 4 is at the front end thereof, the bulk of the bod y of air within said reservoir will be at the inner or hot end thereof, and in the reservoir 5 the bulk of the air will be at the outer or cool end thereof. The body of air in the reservoir 4 is thus heated, and being heated expands, while at the same time the body of air in the reservoir 5 is cooled and contracts. This produces an excess of pressure on the side of the pistons in the power cylinder 7 toward the reservoir 4, and the said pistons being then at the ends of the cylinders adjacent said reservoir 4, excess of pressure in said reservoir "forces the istons outwardly or toward the opposite cm of the power cylinders. Near the end of this motion, the pin 26 acts to turn the cam block 20, and through the connections described the positions of the trunk pistons 19 are reversed, the piston in the reservoir 4 being forced to the hot end of said reservoir, thereby forcing the air therein to the cool end thereof, and

the piston in the reservoir being moved to the cool end thereof, thereby displacing the air and transferring the same to the hot end, and said air, being then heated, forces the power pistons back, assisted by the contraction of the air in the reservoir 4; and so the action continues indefinitely. In the passage of the air from the hot end to the cool end of the reservoirs it parts with some of its heat to the regenerating bands or rings 28, and when it is forced back to the hot end, after being cooled, again absorbs some of the heat so stored in the bands.

I claim:

1. In an air engine, an air reservoir connected to the power cylinder and comprising a casing, a tube therein open at both ends and spaced from the Wails of the casing at the sides and the ends, a transfer piston fitting closely and slidable in said tube, and heating cooling devices at opposite ends of the tube, in the casing.

2. In an air engine, an air reservoir connected to the power cylinder and coin rising a casing, a tube therein spaced on al sides and ends from the walls of the casing, a

transfer piston slidable in said tube, heating and cooling devices at opposite ends of the tube, in the casing, and regenerating devices located in said space and extending around the tube, intermediate the heating and cooling devices.

3. In an air engine, in combination, a power cylinder and piston, a pair of air reservoirs connected respectively to opposite ends of the cylinder and disposed at a right angle with respect thereto, ;"=eans to heat and cool opposite ends of the reservoirs, oppositely-acting transfer pistons in the reservoirs, and operative connections between the power piston and the tra sfer pistons, including carried by t e rod and a rock shaft actuated by the and having ar connected to the transier pistons.

l. In an air engine, an air reservoir nected to the power cylinder and conipri rng a casing, an open ended tube ther in, spaced from the Walls thereof, ransfe piston slidable in said tube, a cooling coil in said space around one end of the tube, heating devices at the other end thereof, and regenerating eletnents in said space, between the cooling coil and the heating devices.

In testimony whereof I aflix si in presence of two witnesses.

JEEET gnatnre,

d itnesses NELLIE FELrsnoo,

H. BATOHELOR. 

